REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY

PANGASIWAAN NG KALAKALANG PANDAGAT
http://www.marina.gov.ph

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR
No. MD-2020-04
Series of 2020

To : ALL SEAFARERS, SHIPPING COMPANIES, SHIPOWNERS /

OPERATORS, MANNING AGENCIES AND ALL OTHERS
CONCERNED

Subject : REVISED RULES AND REGULATIONS IN THE ISSUANCE OF

DOMESTIC CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY (DCOC) FOR
OFFICERS AND DOMESTIC CERTIFICATE OF PROFICIENCY
(DCOP) FOR RATINGS ONBOARD MERCHANT SHIPS IN
PHILIPPINE WATERS

Pursuant to Presidential Decree 474 and R.A. 9295 and its Implementing Rules and
Regulation, and applicable provisions of STCW Convention 1978, as amended, the
following revised rules and regulations are hereby adopted:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. To enhance the system in the issuance of Domestic Certificate of Competency

(DCOC) for Officers and Domestic Certificate of Proficiency (DCOP) for Ratings
onboard merchant ships in Philippine waters thereby harmonizing other laws
and regulations.

2. To ensure that all seafarers onboard merchant ships in Philippine waters are
certificated and medically fit to perform their duties and responsibilities.

3. To enhance the registry system of certificated Officers and Ratings under this
Circular.

II. COVERAGE

These rules and regulations shall apply to all Officers and Ratings who are
performing watchkeeping duties onboard merchant ships in Philippine waters.

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III. EXCEPTION

This Circular shall not apply to seafarers who are onboard the following ships:

1. Warships, naval/coast guard auxiliaries or other ships owned or operated by the

Government exclusively engaged in governmental non-commercial service;

2. Pleasure yachts not engaged in commercial trade;

3. Wooden ships of primitive built not used for commercial trade; and

4. Non-propelled barges.

IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. Domestic Certificate of Competency (DCOC) refers to a certificate issued to

officers attesting to their qualification to serve in a specified capacity and
applicable limitation/s.

2. Domestic Certificate of Proficiency (DCOP) refers to certificate issued to

ratings attesting to their qualification to serve in a specified capacity and
applicable limitation/s.

3. Medical Certificate refers to any valid certificate issued by any DOH accredited
hospitals or clinic.

4. Philippine waters refers to all bodies of water within the Philippine territory such
as lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, brooks, ponds, swamps, lagoons, gulfs, bays
and seas and other bodies of water now existing or which may hereafter exist in
the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays and the waters around,
between and connecting the islands of the archipelago regardless of their breadth
and dimensions, the territorial sea, the sea beds, the insular shelves, and all other
waters over which the Philippines has sovereignty and jurisdiction including the
200-nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone and the continental shelf.
Source:(RA 8550)

5. Rating refers to a ship’s crew other than an officer performing deck or engine
watchkeeping duties.

6. Watchkeeping refers to the function of concerned division of qualified personnel

to operate a ship continuously around the clock, on the bridge and over the
running machinery, which include the responsibility for the safe navigation of the
ship, keeping the ship on course and away from dangers and ensure that running
machinery continues to operate, and ability to respond to emergencies, be it on
own ship or involving other ships.

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V. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The applicant shall secure the Application Form from the MDS, MARINA Central
Office or any of Regional Offices or download from the MARINA website.

2. The duly filled-up application maybe submitted to MARINA personally, through

liaison officer or a courier service. The applicant shall receive a confirmation
advise, accordingly.

3. Holders of valid COC or COP issued under the provisions of the 1978 STCW
Convention, as amended are acceptable and deemed recognized under this
Circular.

4. Holders of DCOC-F/DCOP-F may serve onboard merchant ships operating in

Philippine waters provided they apply for DCOC/DCOP under this Circular.

5. The seafarers should undergo re-training for the required training courses if they
have not served onboard for at least 1 year within the last 5 years from the date
of issuance of certificates or date of last disembarkation.

6. All seafarers covered under this Circular shall possess at all times a valid DCOC
and DCOP while onboard merchant ships.

VI. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

1. Qualification Requirements:

1.1 Filipino citizen;

1.2 Medically and physically fit;
1.3 Rating must have at least six (6) months sea-service for the last five (5)
years; and
1.4 The applicant must comply with all the required trainings.

2. Documentary Requirements:

2.1. Valid Medical Certificate1;

2.2. Photocopy of pertinent pages of valid SRB or SIRB and/or Certificate
of Sea Service;
2.3. Photocopy of Training Certificates2 (Original Certificate must be
presented);
2.4. CMP or PRC Board Certificate or COC or Certificate of Passing
(Theoretical and Practical Assessment) for officers or Notice of
Passing; and

1Only those Medical Certificates issued by a DOH-accredited clinic/hospital shall be accepted for purposes
of certification.

2All training certificates required under this Circular must be obtained from the Accredited Maritime Training
Centers.

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 2.5. Duly notarized affidavit of loss, Marine Protest or submission of
damaged Certificates (if necessary).

3. Training Requirements

3.1. Deck Department

3.1.1 Training requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level on High Speed Crafts.

Officers
Training Requirements Management Operational Support
Level Level Level

1. Advanced Firefighting √ n/a n/a

2. Medical Emergency First Aid √ √ n/a
3. Proficiency in Survival Craft and n/a
√ √
Rescue Boat
4. Safe Nav & ColReg √ √ n/a
5. Deck Watchkeeping in the Domestic n/a n/a
√
Trade
6. Crowd and Crisis Management (for √ √
√
passenger ship)
7. Consolidated MARPOL √ √ √

8. Ship Security Awareness Training √ √

√
and Seafarers with Designated
Security Duties (SDSD)

3.1.2 Training requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level on ships of 500 GT and above:

Officers
Training Requirements Support
Management Operational Level
Level Level
1. Advanced Firefighting √ √ n/a
2. Medical Emergency First Aid √ √ n/a
3. Proficiency in Survival Craft and n/a
√ √
Rescue Boat
4. Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boat (for n/a
√ √
vessels with fast rescue boat)
5. Safe Nav & ColReg √ √ n/a
6. Crowd and Crisis Management (for √ √
√
passenger ship)
7. Basic Training Oil and Chemical n/a
√
Tanker (BTOCT) for Oil and
√
Chemical Tanker ship

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8. Basic Training Liquefied Gas Tanker n/a
√ √
(BTLGT) for Liquefied Gas Tanker
ship
9. Advance Training on Oil Tanker n/a n/a
(ATOT) for Oil Tanker ship √

10. Advance Training on Chemical n/a n/a

√
Tanker (ATCT) for Chemical Tanker
ship
11. Advance Training on Liquefied Gas n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATLGT) for Liquefied Gas
Tanker ship
12. Deck Watchkeeping in the Domestic n/a
√
Trade n/a

13. Consolidated MARPOL

√ √ √

14. Ship Security Awareness Training √ √ √

and Seafarers with Designated
Security Duties (SDSD)

3.1.3 Training requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level on ships of below 500 GT:

Officers
Management Operational Support
Training Requirements Level Level Level
1. Deck Watchkeeping in the n/a n/a √
Domestic Trade
2. Crowd and Crisis √ √ √
Management (for Passenger
ship)
3. Basic Training Oil and n/a
Chemical Tanker (BTOCT) √ √
for Oil And Chemical Tanker
ship
4. Basic Training Liquefied Gas n/a
√ √
Tanker (BTLGT) For
Liquefied Gas Tanker ship
5. Advance Training on Oil n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATOT) for Oil Tanker
ship
6. Advance Training on n/a n/a
√
Chemical Tanker (ATCT) for
Chemical Tanker ship
7. Advance Training on n/a n/a
Liquefied Gas Tanker √
(ATLGT) for Liquefied Gas
Tanker ship
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8. Advanced Fire Fighting √ n/a n/a
9. Maritime Laws n/a n/a √

10. Ship Security Awareness √ √ √

Training and Seafarers with
Designated Security Duties
(SSAT-SDSD)

3.1.4 Training Requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level on Ships of below 100 GT:

Management Operational Support

Training Requirements Level Level Level

1. Deck Watchkeeping in the Domestic n/a n/a

√
Trade
2. Crowd and Crisis Management (for
√ √ √
Passenger ship)
3. Basic Training Oil and Chemical
Tanker (BTOC) for Oil And Chemical √ √ √
Tanker ship
4. Basic Training Liquefied Gas Tanker
(BTLGT) for Liquefied Gas Tanker √ √ √
ship
5. Maritime Laws n/a n/a √

3.2. Engine Department

3.2.1 Training Requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level of Ships with Engine Propulsion Power 750 kW
and above.

Management Operational Support

Training Requirements Level Level Level

1. Crowd and Crisis Management

√ √ √
(Passenger Ship)
2. Basic Training on Oil and Chemical n/a
Tanker (BTOC) for Oil and √ √
Chemical Tanker ship
3. Basic Training Liquefied Gas n/a
Tanker (BTLGT) for Liquefied Gas √ √
Tanker ship
4. Advance Training on Oil Tanker √ n/a n/a
(ATOT) for Oil Tanker ship
5. Advance Training on Chemical n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATCT) for Chemical Tanker
ship

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6. Advance Training on Liquefied Gas n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATLGT) for Liquefied Gas
Tanker ship
7. Engine Watchkeeping in the n/a n/a
√
Domestic Trade
8. Consolidated MARPOL n/a n/a √

3.2.2 Training Requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level of Ships with Engine Propulsion Power of below
750 kW.

Management Operational Support

Training Requirements Level Level Level

1. Engine Watchkeeping for Domestic n/a n/a

√
Trade
2. Crowd and Crisis Management
√ √ √
(Passenger Ship)
3. Basic Training on Oil and Chemical
Tanker (BTOC) for Oil and √ √
Chemical Tanker ship
4. Basic Training Liquefied Gas
Tanker (BTLGT) for Liquefied Gas √ √
Tanker ship
5. Advance Training on Oil Tanker √ n/a n/a
(ATOT) for Oil Tanker ship
6. Advance Training on Chemical n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATCT) for Chemical Tanker
ship
7. Advance Training on Liquefied Gas n/a n/a
√
Tanker (ATLGT) for Liquefied Gas
Tanker ship
8. Maritime Laws n/a n/a √

3.2.3 Training Requirements for Management Level, Operational Level

and Support Level of Ships with Engine Propulsion Power of below
250kW.

Training Requirements Management Operational Support

Level Level Level

1. Engine Watchkeeping in the n/a n/a √

Domestic Trade
2. Crowd and Crisis Management √ √ √
(Passenger ship);
3. Basic Training on Oil and Chemical √ √ √
Tanker (BTOC) for Oil And
Chemical Tanker ship (as
applicable);

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 4. Basic Training Liquefied Gas √ √ √
Tanker (BTLGT) for Liquefied Gas
Tanker ship;
5. Maritime Laws n/a n/a √

VII. FEES

Type of Application Fees

1. DCOC P 1000.00
2. DCOP

VIII. FINES AND PENALTIES

Any violation of this Circular shall be dealt with in accordance with the existing
MARINA Omnibus Rules and Regulations on Fines and Penalties.

IX. VALIDITY

The DCOC and DCOP shall be valid for 5 years from the date of issuance.

X. TRANSITORY PROVISIONS

Except holders of valid PRC license and COC issued by STCWO, all holders of
DCOC issued under MC 2012-04 shall be given one (1) year to apply for DCOC
and DCOP under this Circular.

XI. REPEALING CLAUSE

MARINA Memorandum Circular No. 2012-04, MARINA Advisory Nos. 2013-18,

and 2006-005, and any issuances that are inconsistent herewith are hereby
repealed and amended accordingly.

XII. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE

Should any part of this Circular be declared by competent authority to be invalid or

unconstitutional, the remaining provisions or parts hereof shall remain valid and
effective.

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